Supporting panel for groups of electrical devices



' May 22, 1951 F, c. McNlcoL 2,553,667

SUPPORTING PANEL FOR GROUPS OF ELECTRICAL DEVICES Filed March l5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @MweMX/o'v Y 25M/VM QM @www May 22 1951 l F.- c. MoNlcoL 2,553,667

SUPPORTING lPANEE ECR CRoUPs CE ELECTRICAL DEVICES Filed March 15, 1948. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ao sa /ae a aaszazaa @MMM @MKM @.'mCl/@RN @E MKM mnw Patented May 22, '1951 SUPPORTING PANEL FOR GROUPS OF ELECTRICAL DEVICES Forrest C. lMcNi'col, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to `Cutler-Ha'mmen Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a ocrporation of Delaware Application March 15, 1948, Serial No. 14,888

l Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in supporting panels for groups of electrical devices. I'he invention also relates to an improved form of housing for supporting and enclosing such panels.

An. object of the invention is to reduce the weight and cost of such supporting panels and to avoid the necessity for attachment oi auX- iliary brackets for support of additional electrical devices to be positioned at the rear or" such panels.

Another` and more specic object is to provide a one-piece sheet metal panel consisting of a substantially rectangular main body portion and a pair of wings formed integrally with said main body portion. and extending rearwardly therefrom at substantially right angles thereto.

Another object is to provide such a panel having suitable openings formed in the main body portion to provide for attachment of a multiplicity of dead-backed electrical units to the iront face thereof, and having suitable openings in the wings to provide for attachment oi additional electrical units to the inner faces of the respective wings.

Another object is to provide a panel of the aforementioned character having alined bearing notches formed in the lower edges of the respective wings, whereby pivotal support and outward tilting of the panel may be effected.

Another object is to provide such a panel having a plurality of notches in the upper edge of the main body portion thereof to facilitate rigid but removable attachment thereof to a housing or similar support by means of suitable screws orbolts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention which will now be described, it being understood that the embodiment illustrated is susceptible of modification in respect of certain structural details thereof without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevational view (on a greatly reduced scale) of my improved sheet metal, supporting panel for a multiplicity o1 related electrical units, said panel being shown in assembled position within a suitable housing, from which the housing cover has been removed.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational View of the panel shown in Fig. l, and illustrating the manner in which a multiplicity of resistor units may be attached to and supported by the respective integral wings behind the main body portion of the panel; one of the resistor units being shown in cross section.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the sheet metal supporting panel shown in Figs. l and 2, and illustrating (in conjunction with the other figures) the manner in which the multiplicity of dead-back electrical units may be rigidly and removably attached to the iront face of the main body portion of the panel for support by the latter, and- Fig. 4 is a sectional View, on the broken line 4-4 of Fig. 1, with all of the parts, including f the cover member of the housing, in assembled position.

In the drawings, the numeral l0 designates a preferred form of sheet metal panel embodying my invention. In practice I prefer to punch from a flat steel plate a blank (not shown) of the required contour to provide a substantially rectangular main body portion Illa and a pair of wings 10b and Hic of like contour bent back- Wardly, along substantially parallel lines at substantially right angles to said main body portion Ita. Either during punching of said blank, or as a separate punching, cutting or drilling operation, I provide the main body portion Ia and the Wings lill and lllc with a multiplicity of holes or openings, most of which correspond in their respective positions with the holes or openings provided in the particular group of electrical units to be supported by the panel. More particularly, I prefer to provide in the main body portion Illa a multiplicity of tapped openings for cooperation With the Shanks of suitable securing screws of appropriate lengths to provide for removably securing the various electrical units Il, I2, i3, Ill, l5, IS and Il to the front surface of said body portion. Although the units Il to I1, inclusive, are herein illustrated more or less schematically, it is to be understood that the same, along with the resistors supported by Wings lb and l0, may comprise electrical units forming parts of a manual controller for an alternating current motor driving a printing press or the like. It is to be understood, of course, that the supporting panel (comprising main body portion lila and wings lb and Illa) may be provided with diiierently arranged openings for the securing screws, according to the particular character or shape of the electrical units employed.

In the particular combination of electrical units herein illustrated by way of example, it

may be assumed that the units il, la, i5, and I6 are electromagnetic contactors of well known form, whereas the units i3 and lil are terminal blocks to facilitate proper circuit connections for various elements of the controller. The unit Il is a rotary type of commutator for controlling the energization of the electromagnetic contactors and for commutating the resistors sup ported by the aforementioned wings. l

As shown in Fig. 2 the main -body portion Il] of the panel is provided with a circular opening of a size to rather closely accommodate the circular portion ila of unit il; whichportion l'la may have associated therewith groups of stationary contacts and contactors (not shown) the movement of the contactors being subject to control in accordance with the rotary position of the part Hb of unit il. Part Hb is shown as provided with a plurality of recesses HC (Figi. l) which are adapted to accommodate the inner ends of a pail` of studs lila (Fig. 4) carried by a member I8 which is carried by and manually rotatable relatively to the cover member lila, which is removably attachable to the main body member I9 of the supporting and enclosing housing for panel l0. The units I2 and i6 may each include a well known type of thermally responsive overload devices, the resetting pushbuttons of which are respectively designated by numerals I2EL and la (see Figs. l and 4).

As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 a suitable electric switch 29 may be attached to the real` surface of main body portion lll, by means of a pair of securing screws, as shown; said switch having a toggle lever 28a which is adapted in the righthand position thereof shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to preselect circuit connections to afford low torque starting of the controlled printing press motor, and in its left-hand extreme position to preselect circuit connections for high torque starting of the controlled motor.

The wing Stb is provided with a g-roup of ve equally spaced openings to respectively accom modate the shanks of a corresponding number of r-elatively long bolts E l and the wing Ec is provided with four of such openings which are preferably alined with the lower four openings in wing Iilb; and a group of four bolts 2l are adapted to have their Shanks inserted inwardly through the respective openings in wing IUC. rThe shank of each bolt 2| also penetrates a passage or opening 22EL in a substantially cylindrical member 22 of molded porcelain or similar insulating material, as best illustrated at the `upper righthand end of Fig. 2. Each member 22 is provid-ed with an external spiral groove to accommodate and support a helically wound resistance wire 22h, two clamping-ring type terminal members 22c being positioned in correspondingly shaped grooves adjacent opposite ends of the respective insulating members 22 for electrically connecting the respective ends of each coiled resistance wire 22b in circuit; and additional terminal members of known form may be attached to certain of said coiled resistance wires at a predetermined point or points between the ends thereof, according to the functions or control characteristics afforded by the particular electrical units of the complete control panel.

As shown in Fig. 2, one flat end of each insulator 22 is adapted to abut the inner surface of the wing lb or l t to which it is attached. A flat washer 22d and a lockwasher 22e are applied in sequence over the exposed threaded end of each bolt 2l, and a nut 2|EL is'then threaded onto the shank of each bolt 2| to secure the respective resistors in assembled position, as best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The resistance units other than that shown in section in Fig. 2 are illustrated more or less diagrammatically and the otherwise exposed portions of the resistance wires may be assumed to have a coating or covering of a suitable vitreous insulating cement, if desired.

The aforementioned wings lill and IDC might be of completelyY rectangular contour, and of a height correspondingto that of the main body portion lo@ of the panel. In practice, however, I prefer that the initial sheet steel blank be of such form as to provide the upper ends of wings lb and ill@ with cut-away or removed portions as indicated by the horizontal and angled lines Id, we and ll'if, Ille; thus reducing to some extent the weight and cost of the metal supporting panel without substantially affecting its strength and utility.

Wings Ib and HIC are provided in their respective lower edges, preferably quite closely adjacent the main body portion lila of the panel, with bearing notches lllh and lili of approximately inverted U-shape in contour (see Figs. 2 and 4), which bearing notches are axially alined with each other. The main body portion lila of the supporting panel is provided with a plurality of notches, which are likewise preferably of somewhat elongated Ushape in contour; two of such notches, lill and Wk being illustrated herein.

The aforementioned notches lh and lili are adapted to fit downwardly onto a pair of axially alined cylindrical pivot pins 23, 23 the enlarged base portions 23a, 3n of which are welded or otherwise rigidly and permanently attached to suitable supporting means. Such supporting means is herein shown as comprisingl the opposed side walls l9h and itc of a box-like sheet metal member i9, which forms the main portion of the enclosing housing for the panel i@ and its associated parts; the aforementioned cover member l@ completing the enclosure. Housing member I9 is also provided with upper and lower end walls ld and i9@ and a rear wall I9 (Figs. l and 4).

A pair of inverted L-shaped metal brackets 2li, 24 (Figs. l and 4) are welded or otherwise rigidly and permanently attached to the inner surface of the upper end wall i3d of member it; the vertically depending arms of which brackets are so positioned that upon seating of bearing notches ith and iti upon pivot pins 23, 23 and Contact of the rear surface of the main body portion IQ@ against the respective front surfaces of said depending arms 24a, 2de said main body portion ma will be positioned in a plane parallel to the rear wall I9f of the housing member I9. This is to say, said main body portion We will be in the desired vertical position, assuming that housing member I9 is mounted in the usual manner. Each of said bracket arms 26e is provided with a tapped opening 24h (Fig. 4) aligned with the respective notches lill', Ik to accommodate `the threaded shank of a headed bolt 2.; a fiat washer 26 preferably being interposed between the head of each bolt 25 and the outer surface of said main body portion lila of the panel.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art the panel il] and the electrical units carried thereby may be properly and completely wired with respect to each other before inserting the panel within and attaching the same to housing member I9 for support by the latter. Likewise it is obvious that by merely removing the bolts 25, 25 the panel, with the various units 5 attached thereto, may be tilted forwardly to facilitate inspection of the units and the wiring thereof; whereas, if desired the panel l with the units attached thereto may be removed bodily from housing member l)` for inspection or replacement of any of the parts.

The aforementioned cover member lSe is adapted to fit telescopically onto housing member i9 (see Fig. 4). To facilitate assembly of 'coverV lee with respect to member i9, I prefer to weld or otherwise rigidly attach to the outer surface of the upper end wall {91 a metal member 21 of angle form in transverse cross section whereby an upstanding ange or hook-lug 2la is provided (Figs. 1 and Li). The upper end wall I9@ (Fig. 4) of cover member I9a has its outer, or free, end bent downwardly at substantially a right angle thereto to provide a flange or lug lh which may be positioned behind the lug Zia aforementioned. The cover member li?EL may then be allowed to move into a vertical position, in which position the side walls and the lower end wall will telescope over the corresponding walls of member I9. In order to limit the degree of telescoping movement of cover member I9a I prefer to weld or otherwise rigidly attach to member i9 a pair of suitably spaced metal brackets 28, 28, the outwardly projecting arms 2de of which are each provided with a tapped opening 2i?b of relatively small diameter and an opening 28c of somewhat larger diameter. The cover member [Se has welded or otherwise rigidly attached to the oute-r surface of its lower end wall a pair of brackets, one of which is shown at 29` in Fig. 4. rIhe outwardly projecting arm 2ea of each bracket 2S is provided with a tapped opening 2i)b within which a special known form of bolt 3% may have its forward threaded end portion inserted until the unthreaded portion of reduced diameter is substantially entirely within the tapped opening Zb, thus retaining bolt 36 against accidental removal from bracket arm 29a. Each arm 2te is also provided with a relatively larger opening (not shown) to be respectively alined with openings 2te in the respective bracket arms 28a. Thus, as shown in Fig. 4, the bolts 30 may be threaded into the aforementioned tapped openings 28b to retain cover I93L in assembled relationship to member le. Alternatively the larger openings in the cooperating pairs of bracket arms may Ahave the hasps ofpadlocks of suitable size inserted therein and locked, to positively prevent unauthorized removal of the cover member i921.

In assembling cover member [9&1 to member ES care must be exercised to insure that members I3 and ll'b are in the same relative rotary positions to provide for interlocking engagement of pins ita (Fig. 4) with the recesses Il'C (Fig. l).

ls aforeindicated I have herein disclosed one specific embodiment of my invention, by way of example; it being understood that various modications in the functional characteristics of the electrical units employed may be effected. Thus although I have illustrated the use of the bent back panel wings for attachment and support of resistor units, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other types of electrical units, such as a control transformer or other electrical devices, might be attached to and supported by the wing or wings of the panel; it being only necessary to insure proper location of the openings for the screws or other fastening means on any portion of 1. In combination, a box-like sheet metal housing having a rear wall, parallel side walls, upper and lower end walls and an open front, said side walls having alined pivot pins rigidly attached thereto adjacent the lower ends thereof, a sheet metal supporting panel comprising a flat main body portion and a pair of wings formed integrally therewith and bent rearwardly at substantially right angles thereto, said wings having alined downwardly opening bearing notches formed in the lower edges thereof for cooperation with said pivot pins, the main body portion'of said panel having notches formed therein and opening to the upper edge thereof for cooperation with suitable fastening means for removably retaining said panel in a fixed position within said housing, a multiplicity of electrical units of the dead-back type removably attached to the front surface of said main body portion, a multiplicity of rod-like metal members extending inwardly through the respective wings, a corresponding number of insulating members slidable onto said rod-like metal members and clamped to the latter and to the respective wings for support thereby, a resistor or resistors attached to and supported by each of the respective insulating members, a box-like sheet metal cover memonto said housing member for complete enclosure Aof said panel, and means affording a readily engageable and disengageable hook connection between the respective upper ends of said housing and cover members.

2. In combination, a box-like sheet metal housing having a 'rear wall, parallel side walls, upper and lower end walls, and an open front, said side walls having alined pivot pins rigidly attached thereto adjacent the lower ends thereof, a sheet steel supporting panel comprising a flat main body portion and a pair of integral wings bent rearwardly at substantially right angles thereto, said wings having alined downwardly opening bearing notches formed in the lower edges thereof for cooperation with said pvot pins, the main body portion of said panel having notches formed therein and opening to the upper edge thereof for cooperation with suitable fastening means for removably retaining said panel in a fixed position within said housing, a multiplicity of electrical units of the dead-back type removably attached to the front surface of said main body portion, a multiplicity of rod-like metal members extending inwardly through the respective wings, a corresponding number of insulating members slidable onto said rod-like metal members and clamped to the latter and to the respective wings forl support thereby, a resistor or resistors attached to and supported by each of the respective insulating members, a box-like sheet metal cover member the open end of which is adapted to telescope onto said housing member for complete enclosure of said panel, means affording a readily engageable and disengageable hook connection between the respective upper ends of said housing and cover members, and means comprising cooperating lugs on said housing and cover members to limit the degree of telescopic engagement thereof, each lug having a pair of openings one of which is adapted to accommodate a securing screw and the other of which is adapted to accommodate a padlock hasp. 3. In combination, an electrical control panel comprising a sheet metal plate having a substantially rectangular main body portion and a pair '7 of wings integral with and extending rearwardly from said mai-n vbody portion at substantially right angles to the latter, said main body portion and said wings eachhaving a multiplicity of openings formed therein, a multiplicity of related electrical units attached to the front surface of l said main body portion and to the linner surfaces of the respective wings through the medium 'of fastening elements penetrating said openings, said main body portion having a `plurality of .notches formed in the upper edge thereof, each of said wings having a bearing notchformed in the lower edge thereoisaid bearing knotches being axially alined'with each other,ra box-like sheet metal housing member having a pair of pivot pins attached to and extending inwardly from the respective side walls thereof for cooperation with said bearing notches to provide for vforward tilting of said panel, a plurality of brackets rigidly Iattached to said housing member and overlapping the first mentioned notches at the rear face of said Amain body portion, and a corresponding number-of removablefastening members penetrating said last :mentioned notches vand said brackets to provide for retention of said panel in a given position rela- 'itivelyito said-'housing member.

4. In a combination, an electrical control panel comprising a sheetmetal plate having asubstantially rectangular mainbody portion and a pair of wings integral with :and-extending rearwardly from said main body portion at substantially right angles to the latter, said main body portion and said wings eachhaving a multiplicity of openings formed therein, a multiplicityof related electrical units attached to 4the `front surface of said main ing of said panel, a plurality of brackets rigidly attached to said housing member and overlapping the first mentioned notches at the rear face T15 of 4said main body portion, a correspondingnumber of removable fastening members penetrating said Alast mentioned notches and said brackets to provide for retention of said panel in agiven position relatively to'said housing' member, a boxi `like sheet metal cover member the upper end wall of which has la hooked engagement with the upper end wall of said housing member,and a plurality of pairsof bracket members respectively attached' to the lower end `walls of saidvhousing and n cover members to limit the closing movement of said cover' member, each of saidpairs of brackets being formed to accommodate alternative types of fasteningand locking members.

5. In combination, .an electrical control panel 8 comprising :a sheet metal plate having a substantially rectangular main body portion 'and a, pair Aof wings integral with and extending rearwardly from said main body portion at substantially right angles to the latter, said main body portion and said wings each having a multiplicity of openings formed therein, va multiplicity of related electrical units attached tothe front surface of said main body .portion and to the inner surfaces of the respective wings through the medium of fastening elements penetratingsaidiopenings, said main `bodyportion having .a plurality of notches formed in the upperedge thereof, each of said wings having a bearing notch formed in the lower edge thereof, said bearing notches being axially alined with each other, a box-like .sheet metal housing member -having a pair of pivot pins attached 4to andextending yinwardly from the respective side walls thereof for cooperation 'with said bearing vnotches to provide for forward tilting of said panel, a plurality of brackets rigidly attached to `said housing member and overlapping the nrst ymentioned notches at the rear face of said main lbody portion, a corresponding number of removable fastening members penetrating said last mentioned notches and said brackets to provide for retention of said panel in a given position relatively to said housing member, a box-like sheet metal cover .member .the upper end wall of which has a hooked engagement with the uplper 4end Wall of said housing member, a plurality of pairs of bracket members respectively attached to the lower end walls of said housing and-cover members to limit the closing movement of said cover member, each of said pairs of brackets being formed to accommodate alternative types `of Lfastening and locking members, certain of said `electrical unitsbeing of the electromagnetically "operable type, another of said electrical units including a .member rotatable to commutate the circuits to be controlled by certain vor all of said units jointly, and manually operable means rotatably supported by said cover member and accessible exteriorly of the latter, said last ment* tioned means having 'a yremovable interlocking `driving connection with the rotatable member aforementioned.

FORR-EST C. MCNICOL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,228,362 Hayes May 29, 1917 2,128,647 Johansson Aug. 30, 1938 '2,132,630 lJackson Oct. 11, 1938 2,173,220 Blancha Oct. 31, 1939 2,223,539 ll-Saker Dec. 3, 1940 2,241,181 Bushnell May 6, 1941 A2,304,923 Jackson Dec. 15, 1942 2,343,178 Frank Feb. 29, 1944 2,344,441 VLorenz Mar. 14, 1944 

